All Line Rover
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- 17 Feb 2011
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(Mod note: I have not put this thread in the Infrastructure or Rolling Stock forums as I would prefer to discuss the impact on rail services on the WCML in general. The 110mph thread in the Rolling Stock forum seems to be completed unrelated to what I want to discuss.)
This press release from London Midland confirms that 110mph running will start from Monday 10th December. I know most people already know this, but this is the first time I have seen a confirmed date on the London Midland website.
What particularly caught my eye is the mentioning of "time savings of up to 32 minutes" between Trent Valley stations and London Euston, with Nuneaton being cited as an example.
On a weekday most London Midland services to/from Nuneaton take 1h 42m (to Euston) and 1h 30m (from Euston). If approximately 30 minutes can be shaved off those journey times, that reduces them to around 1h 10m and 1h respectively. Virgin takes an average of 1h in each direction, so those new London Midland journey times are very impressive. It seems that they will almost match, if not occasionally beat, Virgin's journey times!
Hopefully this will revitalise timetables on the West Coast Main Line. It seems that Virgin/the-then-WCML-franchise-holder won't be able to compete at the Trent Valley stations and maybe even Rugby. Nobody in their right mind will pay a price premium of almost 200% for a time saving of 5 or 10 minutes.
Do you think that the-then-WCML-franchise-holder, whoever they might be (Virgin, SNCF, First...), will consider removing all of the Trent Valley stops and even Rugby? Maybe introducing extra stops at Milton Keynes and Watford Junction to compensate? I have to say that I do have my doubts about Rugby as it is a good interchange station, but then Virgin have neglected it since VHF (in terms of trains stopping there), instead focusing on end-to-end journey times.
One concern I have is that London Midland might decide to scrap the "LM Only" fares. But then Virgin price the "Any Permitted" fares from those stations, and I'd be surprised if they didn't mind LM "claiming" them as that could substantially reduce the current price premium on the section of track south of Rugby.
There are a lot of unanswered questions, but all in all this is very interesting and I look forward to December/January. Hopefully without too many price increases!
This press release from London Midland confirms that 110mph running will start from Monday 10th December. I know most people already know this, but this is the first time I have seen a confirmed date on the London Midland website.
What particularly caught my eye is the mentioning of "time savings of up to 32 minutes" between Trent Valley stations and London Euston, with Nuneaton being cited as an example.
On a weekday most London Midland services to/from Nuneaton take 1h 42m (to Euston) and 1h 30m (from Euston). If approximately 30 minutes can be shaved off those journey times, that reduces them to around 1h 10m and 1h respectively. Virgin takes an average of 1h in each direction, so those new London Midland journey times are very impressive. It seems that they will almost match, if not occasionally beat, Virgin's journey times!
Hopefully this will revitalise timetables on the West Coast Main Line. It seems that Virgin/the-then-WCML-franchise-holder won't be able to compete at the Trent Valley stations and maybe even Rugby. Nobody in their right mind will pay a price premium of almost 200% for a time saving of 5 or 10 minutes.
Do you think that the-then-WCML-franchise-holder, whoever they might be (Virgin, SNCF, First...), will consider removing all of the Trent Valley stops and even Rugby? Maybe introducing extra stops at Milton Keynes and Watford Junction to compensate? I have to say that I do have my doubts about Rugby as it is a good interchange station, but then Virgin have neglected it since VHF (in terms of trains stopping there), instead focusing on end-to-end journey times.
One concern I have is that London Midland might decide to scrap the "LM Only" fares. But then Virgin price the "Any Permitted" fares from those stations, and I'd be surprised if they didn't mind LM "claiming" them as that could substantially reduce the current price premium on the section of track south of Rugby.
There are a lot of unanswered questions, but all in all this is very interesting and I look forward to December/January. Hopefully without too many price increases!